A VERY INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH THE MARITIMESON MONDAY DECEMBER 22ND BRINGING SEVERE WINDS TO NOVA SCOTIA AND PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO NEW BRUNSWICK.THE LOW FORMED OFF THE US EASTERN SEABOARD AND DEEPENED RAPIDLYLATE ON DECEMBER 21ST. METEOROLOGICALLY SPEAKING..THE CENTRALPRESSURE OF THE LOW DEEPENED FROM 982 MB TO 964 MB IN 6 HOURS..ORABOUT 3 MB PER HOUR..WHICH IS AN EXCEPTIONAL RATE OF DEEPENING.THE CENTRE OF THE 964-MB LOW TRACKED OVER GRAND MANAN ISLAND AND SOUTHERN NEW BRUNSWICK THEN INTO THE CENTRAL GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE NORTH OF PEI.

THERE WERE WIDESPREAD WIND GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE (120 KM/H) ANDEVEN WELL INLAND..GUSTS REACHED 100 KM/H. MANY EXPOSED AREASALSO REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 70 TO 90 KM/H. THESE WINDS WERECOMPARABLE TO EX-HURRICANE NOEL IN NOVEMBER 2007. IN HALIFAX..INLAND DAMAGE WAS SIMILAR TO THAT EXPERIENCED FROM NOEL WITH DOWNEDTREES..SHINGLES, SIDING, AND FIXTURES TORN FROM BUILDINGS..DISMANTLED SIGNAGE..AND FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES. SOME MINORBUILDING DAMAGE WAS REPORTED AS WELL WITH A ROOF PARTIALLY BLOWN OFF A HOME IN THE CAPE SABLE ISLAND AREA OF SOUTHWEST NOVA SCOTIAAND A PARTIALLY-CONSTRUCTED BUILDING ON PURCELL'S COVE ROAD NEAR HALIFAX WAS BLOWN DOWN. THERE WERE COASTAL IMPACTS AS WELL WITH SOME BOATS BREAKING FREE FROM MOURINGS AND BEING SWAMPED BY WAVES ASWELL AS SOME SHORELINE EROSION EXACERBATED BY STORM SURGE.

SOME NOTEWORTHY OBSERVATIONS FROM AROUND THE MARITIMES ARE TABULARIZED BELOW. VALUES ARE RANKED IN TERMS OF PEAK WIND SPEEDS OVER NOVA SCOTIA AND PEI AND IN TERMS OF HEAVIEST SNOWFALL OVER NEWBRUNSWICK: